All About Justin
 

Chapter 1

 

“Whatcha doin’, Sunshine?” Brian singsonged as he sauntered into the sun porch. He was carrying a mug of coffee for himself and another for his spouse. He handed one mug to Justin who was sitting on one of the chaises with sketchbooks spread around him, all over the chaise and the surrounding floor.

Justin took a sip of coffee before answering. “I’ve been thinking about something Sidney said to me about the London show.”

“What’s that?” Brian asked as he sat down on the chaise across the pile of sketchbooks from Justin.

“He said I should ‘chronicle Justin Taylor’.”

Brian frowned. “Is that why you included some of your early sketches of me in the London show?”

Justin smiled at Brian. “Kind of… There are some early nudes of you that I really like.”

“Don’t they all!”

“Certainly the staff at the London Gallery enjoyed them,” Justin chuckled.

Brian grinned. “But you’re not quite finished with Sidney’s idea, are you?”

“You are the smartest man…”

“I’ll accept the compliment, but it’s really only because I know you so well.”

“Do you?”

Now Brian frowned. “Don’t you think I know you?”

“I think you know me as much as any person can know another.”

“Have you been talking to Ben?”

“Huh?”

“You’re going all Zen on me.”

Justin chuckled. “Is that what you think?”

“Where did all this deep meaning for everything come from otherwise?”

Justin shrugged. “I was looking through these old sketchbooks. I drew … pretty well back then.”

“You drew damn well back then.”

“Thanks, but…”

“Then Chris Hobbs happened, and everything changed.”

“Yeah,” Justin said sadly. “I used to love to sketch, especially … you.”

“I know,” Brian smirked.

“Do you remember that sketch of you that I submitted to the GLC Art Show right after we first met?”

“You mean after I picked you up on Liberty Avenue for a one night stand.”

“Yeah, the one night stand that’s lasted eighteen years.”

“On and off,” Brian said with a smirk.

“But mostly on.”

“Yes, mostly on,” Brian admitted.

“Do you remember that sketch?”

“Of me in bed with my dick hanging out from the sheet?”

“That’s the one.”

“I remember. Your mother wasn’t too fond of it, as I recall.”

“I didn’t know she was going to be there,” Justin said shaking his head.

“But you were glad she came, even if the sketch scared the shit out of her.”

“Yeah, it was a big step for her.”

“And I believe it was the first picture you ever sold,” Brian said.

“Yeah, I’ve always wondered who bought it.”

“Have you?” Brian asked with a funny look on his face.

“It would be interesting to include it in a show as the first work of Justin Taylor.”

“It wasn’t your first though. You had all kinds of sketches already, if I remember correctly.”

“Yeah, speaking of Chris Hobbs. I used to draw him in his football uniform, in his track shorts, naked…”

“How did you know what he looked like naked?” Brian asked.

“We were in the same gym class. Showers!” Justin said like Brian was completely dense.

“Of course, so what have you been plotting with all these sketchbooks you’re going through?”

“It’s just an idea, but I was thinking about taking some of my best sketches, and then doing a painting to go along with each of them. Some of the paintings could be abstract or representational or somewhere in between. Whatever seems to come to mind or suit the sketch.”

“Sounds like genius to me.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, but choosing the sketches is going to be the hard part,” Justin said with a sigh, gesturing to the mountain of sketchbooks beside the chaise. “And this is just the first pile.”

“You can do it, Sunshine,” Brian said standing up. He leaned over and kissed the top of Justin’s head. “If you need help picking the best ones of me, I’ll be glad to help.”

“Or you could pose for some current ones…” Justin suggested.

“You know I will.”

“Just one of the many reasons I love you.”

Justin went back to flipping through his sketchbooks as Brian walked back into the kitchen.

 

*****
 

“Justin,” Brian called from inside the house.

“What is it?” Justin called back. He was almost through the pile of sketchbooks he had been reviewing. He wanted to finish them today. There were more he’d look at tomorrow.

“Can you come in here for a minute?”

“Do you really need me?” Justin asked. “I’m almost finished here.”

“I think you need to see this.”

“Fuck!” Justin muttered as he shoved some sketchbooks out of his way. He laid the one he was looking at on the chaise so he could find where he had left off. He walked into the house. “What’s so impor…” The word died on Justin’s lips, as he looked at what was sitting on one of the kitchen chairs. “Where … where did you get that?”                                           

“I bought it.”

“You bought…”

Brian nodded. “Yes.”

“You bought it? And all this time…”

“I’ve had it stashed away.”

“And you never told me?”

“I … I was going to, but the time was never right,” Brian said lamely. This wasn’t going the way he thought it would. The look on Justin’s face worried him.

“You?”

“Yes, me.”

“How could you?”

“I liked the sketch and I … wanted it.”

“I thought I actually sold a picture that night, but it was just you…”

“What the fuck do you mean, just me?” Brian asked. “I paid good money for this sketch.”

“But you weren’t a real buyer.”

“The fuck I wasn’t!”

“You … you were my boyfriend, being nice, condescending to pay for something you could have had for free, building me up when there was really nothing there…”

“Are you fucking nuts?” Brian demanded. “You’re a world famous artist. I knew quality when I saw it.”

Justin continued to stare at the sketch with unbelieving eyes. “I can’t believe you did this.”

“I bought the fucking sketch. What’s the problem?”

“It was all a lie. I didn’t sell a picture that night. It was you.”

“In case you have forgotten, Sunshine,” Brian said sarcastically. “I was not your boyfriend. I was not being nice. I did not do nice back then. I did not condescend to pay for this sketch. I wanted the fucking thing. I liked it. It … meant something to me. So I bought it, like any buyer of a piece of artwork they liked would have done.”

Justin tore his eyes away from the sketch and finally looked up at Brian. “Really?”

“You know I don’t lie,” Brian said.

Justin felt a little smile crinkle the corners of his mouth. “I … I’m glad it was you who bought it. I’m glad you still have it.”

“That’s what I was hoping you’d say,” Brian replied with a sigh of relief, as he crossed the short distance between them and pulled Justin into a hug. “I should have told you a long time ago, but the truth is, I’d forgotten all about it until you mentioned it.”

“Where have you had it all this time?” Justin asked from the shelter of Brian’s arms.

Brian chuckled. “You know the big Prada box that’s been on the shelf in my closet for all these years?”

“The one that holds the first good suit you ever bought when you started making real money?”

“Yeah, that’s the one.”

Justin shook his head. “You never did show that suit to me, even though I asked to see it several times.”

“I managed to find ways to distract you.”

Justin smiled. “Because it really held this sketch.” Brian nodded. “Thank you, Brian Kinney.”

“For what? I thought you wanted to shoot me a few minutes ago.”

“I did, but … I’ve changed my mind.”

“Good.”

“Thank you for appreciating my art, even way back then, and for being the first person to buy a piece of it.”

“It was my pleasure then and now. Always has been, and always will.”

The smile was radiant before it was crushed under the force of Brian’s lips claiming Justin’s in a passionate kiss. It was a good thing Bree wouldn’t be home from school for a couple of hours.

 

*****
 

“Hey,” Justin said as he walked into the kitchen. He had just come from Bree’s room after reading her a bedtime story. “She’s waiting for you.”

“Me? You’re the bedtime father.”

“Usually, but she wants to ask you a question,” Justin said with a crooked smile.

“Ah. In other words she wants to see if she can sweet talk me into something,” Brian said knowingly with an arch of his brow.

“Probably.”

“So what do you suggest, oh great wise disciplinarian,” Brian said opening his arms wide making Justin giggle.

“I suggest you stand tall. You have a backbone, use it. You aren’t generally swayed by a pretty face.”

“Unless that pretty face belongs to a Taylor,” Brian said as he steeled his back then walked down the hall to his daughter’s room.

“Hi, Dada,” Bree greeted her older father with a sleepy sunshine smile.

“Hey, Squirt, why are you still awake? It’s getting late and you have school in the morning.”

“I waited for you,” Bree said as Brian sat on the edge of her canopied princess bed. He tucked the blankets under her chin then smoothed them out.

“I’m here. Daddy said you had something to ask me.”

“Uh huh,” Bree yawned.

“You better ask me fast before you fall asleep.”

“Can I have a birthday party?’

“I think that can be arranged, but we’re not going to have an extravaganza like we did when you turned five.”

“Okay, Dada,” Bree said as she closed her eyes. “Love you, Dada,” Bree mumbled as she drifted off.

“I love you, Squirt,” Brian said as he gently kissed his daughter’s cheek. Brian sat on the edge of Briana’s bed for some time just staring at her sweet innocent face.

“Bri?” Justin said as he slowly open the bedroom door and peeked in. “Everything okay?” he whispered.

Brian nodded.

“What are you doing?” Justin quietly asked as he stepped into the room.

“Just watching her sleep,” Brian murmured.

“A guilty pleasure?”

Brian nodded again. Justin walked to the other side of the bed to sit on the edge. He stretched out his hand which was met by its mate.

Hand in hand Bree’s fathers watched her sleep.

 

*****
 

“What did she want?” Justin asked as he rested his head against Brian’s chest, as they snuggled under the blankets.

“She wants a birthday party.”

“Not an unreasonable request. What did you tell her?”

“I told her yes, but no three ring circus. She agreed.”

“I’m proud of you.”

“For what? For not caving into an almost seven year old?”

“A very persuasive almost seven year old.”

“She takes after her Daddy.”

“More likely, she takes after her Dada.”

“So do we have a party?”

“She enjoys sleepovers. What if we have a sleepover party? She can invite five of her closest friends.”

Brian remained very quiet. Justin twisted around so he could look at Brian’s face.

“You don’t like that idea?” Justin asked with some concern.

“That’s not it.”

“Then what is?”

“We’ll be overrun with girls,” Brian groused.

Justin chuckled. “I’ll protect you, my big smoosh,” Justin whispered as he kissed Brian’s chin then tucked himself under it.

“My hero,” Brian said giving Justin a little squeeze as they fell into a contented sleep.

 

*****
 

“Knock, knock,” Justin said as he rapped on the door jam of Bobby’s office door. “Your assistant said I could come in.”

“Sure, come on in, have a seat,” Bobby said indicating a chair in front of his desk. “Can I get you some coffee?”

“No, thanks.”

“What are you doing in Harrisburg?”

“I was picking up some supplies and thought we could do lunch.”

“And?” Bobby asked knowing his young brother-in-law very well.

“And I have a question.”

“Shoot.”

“Susanna found a ledger that may have belonged to JAB Kinney.”

“A ledger? What type of ledger and where is it?”

“Apparently Kinney made land grants and monetary loans to his neighbors in an effort to stop the landowners from selling up and moving away.”

“I take it this happened prior to his meeting of Patrick and their subsequent flight.”

“Yes. Susanna says Kinney kept meticulous records. She happened to come upon the ledger in the Bridgeton library in their book vault. She says some of it is still legible but if it’s not conserved soon it will become a pile of dust.”

“Do you think Sidney can have the ledger conserved?”

“I did mention it to Sidney. He wants to have a look at it. It’ll have to be carefully moved.”

“Okay, but I don’t hear a question in all of this.”

“If Kinney made loans but wasn’t ever paid back, would the descendants be responsible? Does the land still belong to the Kinney family?”

“Are you looking to go after the money?”

“No! Of course not, but what if the land is just there and legally belongs to John and Brian. Maybe they can do something with it.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know. Turn it into farmland or maybe a museum.”

“A Kinney museum?” Bobby chuckled.

“Maybe. Or maybe a park. The land could be a dump site. If we take ownership we could clean it up, turn it into something nice,” Justin said as he batted his lashes at Bobby.

Bobby laughed out loud. “Oh you are good,” Bobby laughed. “Okay, first let Sidney get some clear photos of as many pages of the ledger as he can before he starts working on it. We have many examples of Kinney’s handwriting. It won’t be difficult to authenticate. If we can trace the loan recipients we might, and I mean, might have a case. I doubt if Brian or John would displace anyone that’s been living on the land for years.”

“Yes!” Justin said as he pumped his fist into the air.

“You’re such a kid sometimes,” Bobby said shaking his head. “So do I still get lunch out of you?”

“Yeah, come on,” Justin said. Bobby shut down his computer then accompanied his brother-in-law out for lunch.

 

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